Developing apparatus



DEVELOPING APPARATUS E'lled April 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet N 3mm July 31, 1923.

L, w. SHANNON DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 31', 1923-.

L. W. SHANNON DEVELOPING APPARATUS Filed April 18 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 31, 1923.

I 1,463,489 PATENT OFFICE.-

UNITED. STATES LEON W. SHANNQN, @F HIAWATHA, KANSAS.

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Application filed April 18, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEON W. SHANNON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hiawatha, in the county of Brown and State of Kansas have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Developing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in apparatus such as is employed in developing X-ray plates after exposure. although the principles of the invention are not limited to this particular adaptation but may also find embodiment in an apparatus for developing or otherwise treating sensitized photographic media.

In developing X-ray and photographic plates it is essential that the developing, fixing and washing baths be maintained at a predetermined uniform degree of temper" ature and heretofore considerable difficulty and inconvenience .has been experienced in accomplishing this result, it being customary to raise or lower the temperature of the several baths by the use of heating and cooling mediums such for example as hot and cold water. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide means whereby the temperature of the baths in an apparatus of this class may be automatically maintained uniform, and this I accomphsh by the employment of means for automatically maintaining a constant degree of temperature in the atmosphere surrounding the tanks containing the developing and other solutions.

Another object of the invention isto. provide for the maintenance of a constant degree of temperature in the developing and other baths of an apparatus or" the class referred to by heating and cooling media convenient to handle and control and susceptible, as regards the heating medium, of being automatically controlled.

. In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through an apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, the lid or cover being removed;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on a reduced scale on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a similar view on the line 44 of Figure2.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates Serial No. 462,184.

in general a casing or housing having side walls 2, end walis 3and a bottom wall 4:, each of these walls being preferably made up of plies 5 of wood of a suitable thickness and an intermediate ply 6 of asbestos or any other suitable insulating material. The ca mg 1s also provided with a lid indicated in general by the numeral 7 and constructed in a manner similar to the walls, the lid being provided with a circumscribing strip or flange 8 designed to fit down over the proectmg upper edges of the inner plies 5 of the side and end walls of the body of the easing as indicated by the numeral 9, the lid being hinged or otherwise suitably mounted as desired.

Arranged within the opposite ends of the casing are acid proof tanks 10 and 11 designed respectively to contain the developing and fixing solutions, these tanks being of any suitable construction and either bein the tanks as ordinarily constructed and used or specially formed tanks, as desired. Preferably these tanks are supported each between a pair of cleats 12 extending in a front to rear direction across the interior of the casing near the top thereof, the tanks having flanges 13 which rest upon the upper sides of the supporting cleats and being in this manner suspended in an upright position. Other cleats 14, 15 and 16 are also arranged within the body of the casing and extend in a front to rear direction, and supported between the cleats 15 and 16 is a washing tank 17 to which water is supplied, preferably continuously, in a manner to be presently explained, and from which the washing water overflows through an overflow pipe 18 leading from the interior of the tank 17 near the top thereof and through one of the walls 2 as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The cleats 1 1 and 15 support an ice compartment and drip pan indicated in general by the numeral 19 and comprising a bottom 20, side walls 20 and 20 and an upstanding rim 21 which is spaced from the lower portion of the wall 20 and which defines a gutter or spillway 22 slightly overhanging the upper portion of the washing tank 17 and arranged to discharge into said tank. The wall 20 terminates short of the bottom 20 and below the plane of the upper edge of the rim 21 so that water from the melting ice in the compartment will be maintained at a constant level and the compartment closed byv a liquid seal. The washing tank 17 is From the coil 23, the water is led spaced below the open upper ends of the said tanks. lO'and 11, and the drip pan 19 is '5 located substantially in the'same plane with the upper end of the tank 17. This drip pan supports or has arranged above it a pipe coil 23 WhlOh'iS supplied with water from a pipe 24 leading from any suitable source of sup- 10 ply) which is controlled so as to deliver a slowly flowing stream of water through the coil 23, preferably continuously, although the supply is in any suitable manner placed entirely under the control of the operator. by a pipe 25, into the tank 17, this pipe 25 leading downwardl into the tank near one side wall thereof and having a branch .26 extendin along one side of the bottom of the tank an 20 provided with a plurality of discharge openmgs 27 As a cooling medium, I preferably employ a cake of ice as indicated by the numeral 28 in Figure 1 which cake is disposed upon the coil 23 and serves to cool the atmosphere within the casing and also to cool the water flowing through the said coil. The drippings from the ice are caught in the drip pan 19, accumulate to a depth to submerge the coil 23, and overflow, by wayof the gutter 22, into the washing tank 17 it being understood however that the water flowing through the said coil will flow through the pipe 25 into the said tank and will overflow through the drain pipe 18,

fresh water being in this manner continuously, supplied at low temperature to the said tank.

The drip pan 19 and coil 23 are located 40 adjacent one wall 2 of the casing and do not extend the entire width of the casin but onl a portion of the said width, so t atva col air passage 29 is provided communicating with the lower portion ofthe casing. A

I cover 30 is provided upon the ice compartment. 1

In order that the enveloping air within the casing may be heated when required to bring the temperature of the baths to the require electric heating devices of anysuitab e type such for example as ruby colored lamps 31 and 32, are arranged preferably respectively beneath the tanks 10 and 11 upon suitable bases 33 and within suitable fines or jackets 34 mounted upon the said bases. Thus when current is flowing through the lamps 31 and 32, or whatever other type of electric heating device might be employed .in lieu of said lamps, the temperature of the j air within the casing will be raised and thus heat will be transferred to the solutions within the several tanks 10, 11 and 17 Wires 35 lead into the casing and are connected in circuit with the heating devices 31- and 32 and'in this circuit there is interposed any" suitable thermostatic regulator 36 designed to close the circuit through thelamps or other heating devices when the temperature of the air within the casing falls below a predetermined degree, and to open or break the circuit when the temperature rises above and without any attention on the part of the operator.

It is again stated that any electric heating means may be substituted for the lamps 31 and 32 such for example as resistance coils and that any type or kind of thermostatic circuit closer may be employed so long as capable of properly controlling the supply of current to the electric heating means.

In order to cover the air space between the front wall of the casing and the washin tank, a sheet metal bracket is provided, indlcated by the numeral 37 and is formed with a horizontal lip at the lower end which rests upon the upper edge of the adj acent wall of the wash tank, the bracket including a portion extending vertically from the hp and a portion extending horizontally from the upper end of the first mentioned portion to the said wall of the casing where there is provided a secondlip secured in any suitable manner to the said casing wall. In this manner the air space surrounding the developing tank is placed in communication with the cold air vent from the icebox which passes down and about the fixing tank at the opposite end of the apparatus. The open spaces at the ends of the develo ing and fixing tanks 10 and 11 may be c osed in any suitable manner and in closing the space above the thermostat, means will be provided of such a natureas to permit of access to the thermostat when requlred.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as newis:

1. In apparatus for developing photographic plates, a casing, tanks within the casing, one of the tanks having an overflow outlet, a pan arranged in the upper part of the casing and having an overflow dischargcooling medium.

2. In apparatus for developing photographic plates, a casing, tanks within the casing, one of the tanks having an overflow outlet, thermostatically controlled heaters below the other tanks, a pan arranged in the upper part of the casing and having an overflow discharging into the top of the tank having an overflow outlet, a water supply pipe passing through the pan into the tank and discharging at the bottom of the tank, and a coil interposed in said pipe within the pan in spaced relation to the bottom of the same and adapted to support a cooling medium.

3. In apparatus for developing photographic plates, a casing, developing, fixing and washing tanks therein, the washing tank having an overflow outlet, a water supply pipe dischar 'ng at the bottom of the washing tank, sai pipe including a coiladapted to support a cooling medium adjacent the top of the tank, and a thermostatically controlled heater within the casing.

4;. In apparatus for developing, photographic plates, a casing, developing, fixing and washing tanks supported in the casing in spaced relation to the sides of the same, the top of the washing tank being below the tops of the developing and fixing tanks, a refrigerating chamber arranged between the developing and fixing tanks and adjacent the top of the washing tank and spaced from one side out the casing, and a bracket resting on the top edge of one side of the washing tank and secured to the adjacent side of the casing to cover the space between the tank and said side of the casing.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEON W. SHANNON. [L. a] 

